Snow sweeper railway car



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1949 y 25, 1950 c. w. SHlPLEY ETIAL 2,516,600

snow SWEEPER RAILWAY CAR Fild April 16, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam/21291:;

Patented July 25,, l 950 Calvin W. Shipley, Munster, Ind; and Herman C. Van Eek, Chicago, Ill., assignors to 0. F. Jordan Company, East Chicago, Indz, a corporation of Indiana Application April 16, 1949, Serial No. 87,902

8 Claims. (Cl: 15-55) This invention relates to improvements in snow sweeper railway cars and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a railwaycar for sweeping snow from zones along the running rails of a railway track and for directing the snow upwardly for entrainment into the air stream produced by the forward movement of the car, so that said snow becomes airborne by said stream and is thereafter directed rearwardly and outwardly from both sides of the car fordisposal in zones along the track where the snow connot interfere with train movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a car of this kind, an improved arrangement of air stream directional surfaces, whereby said stream is directed inwardly from opposite sides of'thefront end ofthe car to there join together at an entrainment space or zone and where the comminuted snow thrown upwardly and forwardly by the rotating brushes of the car, becomes airborne by said stream, which is then directed upwardly for division into portions,

each turnedoutwardly from the sides of the car, for :discharge.

A'further object of the invention is to provide inacar of this kind, an improved arrangement of brush frames, one at each side of the snow entrainment space, which frames are mounted for movement from an operative position for sweeping snow from the running rail zones, to an inoperative position within the equipment lines of the car, for clearance purposes when the car is being moved'betwieen periods of snow sweeping use.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, together with others, as well as the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a snow sweeper railway car embodying the preferred form of the invention with the sweeper brushes in the operative position.

Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the car appearing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the snow entrainment space or zone of the car, as taken on the line 3--3 and on a scale enlarged over that" of Fig. 1, with one rotary brush shown in-its operative position and with the other of the brushes shown in itsinoperative position, as when the car is in transport between periods of use.

tanks; auxiliary engine, generator, etc.

Fig. 4 is aperspective view of one of the frames for supporting one of the rotary brushes from theunderframe of the car.

In general the improvedcar is of such construction thatit can be equipped with trucks, couplers, draft gears, brakes'and safety'appliances-required as standard in railway cars. Said improved car embodies a wheeled truck mounted underframe, that includes a center sill, end sills and'side sills, which in this instance stop short of what may be termed the snow sweeping and entrainment space or zone of the car, located. between the opposed ends of the side sills and-where both sides of the center sill are exposed.

Said car, while it may carry its own motive equipment, is herein shown as constructed to be pushed forwardly as the leading car of a train of cars equipped with its own locomotive, or to be pushed by a locomotive alone.

At the front end or deck ofthe car an enclosure for the operating personnel is located, which occupies about one-third the length of thecar. This enclosure has'a roundedfront or advance end, whereby as the car moves forwardly, said end causes the air stream to follow around opposite sides of the car and thence inwardly toward the'center of the car. The rear end of this enclosure tapers at both sides rearwardly and inwardly to terminate as an upright trailingedge disposed in the center line of the center sill; This enclosure. is provided with suitable doors and windows for access of the screw and for clear vision at the front, the sides and the rear of the enclosure.

At the rear end of thedeck of the car is a second enclosure of the same-height as the-first mentioned enclosure. Said second enclosure may contain certain equipment, such as air It occupies abouta third of thelength of the car, its front end is of a V: or wedge shape and includes side portions that extend outwardly and rearwardly from its leadingedge, which isalso disposed on thexcenter line of the center; sill.

'Iheqspace or Zone between said enclosures is anopenone and constitutes a snow entrainment space or zone of the car v Associated with the-wedge shaped front end "of the rear enclosure. is. an'air scoop having a transverse front-or leading edge disposed below the centersill. This'scoop inclines upwardly and rearwardly from said edge, with upper end portions-thereof disposed uponopposite sides of the wedge shaped front of -the rear enclosure. Extendingbetween the leading margin ofthescoop and that part of the center sill above the same is a secondary wedge for giving a better controlled division for such snow as may be picked up by the advancing margin of the scoop and for directing it as two stream parts, onto the scoop and thus prevent packing of the snow under the center sill at this point.

At each side of the exposed part of the center sill, in advance of the leading margin of the scoop, an open frame is pivoted, which swings on an axis parallel the center sill. Each frame carries a rotary sweeper brush that is mounted on a shaft extending transversely of the car,

which brush when driven, rotates in such a direction that when engaged in snow along the running rail zones, such snow is thrown or swept forwardly and upwardly into the air stream for entrainment therein to be airborne thereby and then directed upwardly and rearwardly and outwardly for gentle discharge at each side of the ,car.

Each of the brush frames has associated therewith a means operable by the crew in the front enclosure to swing the brush from its operative position mentioned to an inoperative position within the planes of the sides of the car as a whole so as to be out of the way when the car is in motion from one place of use to another.

- Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the improved snow sweeper car includes an underframe mounted on trucks that include the pairs of wheels i0l0 for a running engagement upon the rails HH of a railway track. The frame includes a center sill I2 of hollow box-like construction, end sills I3--l3 and front and rear side sill portions |4l5 which extend toward .each other from the end sills, but are spaced apart of the decking at each side of the enclosure. The

enclosure includes a top 18, a rounded front end I3, that merges at its ends into parallel side portions 20 and rearwardly of said side portions and forming continuations thereof, are rearwardly and inwardly extending wall portions 2! that meet located equipment, such as a compressed air tank 26 and an auxiliary engine and compressor and generator casing 21, which compressor to provide the compressed air for storage in the tank 26.

The cab-like structure 25, which has a substantially arrowhead shape, as appears in Fig. 2, includes a top '28, a back wall 29, side wall portions 3030 that are parallel with the sides of the car as a whole and forwardly and inwardly extending side wall portions 3I-3l that meet as an upright advancing or leading edge 32 disposed 1 on the median line of the center sill l2. The leading edges 22 and 32 of said cab-like structures I1 and 25 are spaced apart longitudinally of the center sill to form a snow entrainment zone or space 33 best appearing in Fig. 1.

A running board 34 is disposed centrally of the car and has end portions disposed upon the tops I8 and 28 of the structures I! and 25 and this board bridges the zone or space 33. The rear end of the structure H, as constituted by the walls 2| and edge 22, affords a streamline contour, whereby the air stream produced by the forward movement of the car is caused to enter the zone or area 33, along an inwardly sweeping path. This air stream will have a velocity approximating the speed of movement of the car, say of the order of from 25 to 35 M. P. H.

The rear end structure, as constituted by the walls 3| and edge 32, forms a wedge for splitting the before-mentioned air stream into two equal parts or substreams and directs each of the substreams rearwardly and outwardly for discharge at opposite sides of the structure, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

Associated with the structure just above mentioned is a means for deflecting the air stream upwardly, which means is in the form of an upwardly and rearwardly inclined air scoop 35. This scoop includes a leading edge 36 that extends transversely of the car and is located in a plane below that of the center sill and fairly close to the plane of the top of the running rails ll'. Said scoop extends upwardly and rearwardly from this margin and terminates in a plane about midway between the top and the bottom of the rear ends of the walls 3l-3l. Thus, as will be best seen from Fig. ,2, there are portions of the scoop disposed at each side of the walls 3l-3I of the structure 25 and these scoop portions deflect the substreams of air upwardly, as they are deflected outwardly by said walls.

Between the front margin of the scoop and that portion of the center sill 12 above the same is a secondary wedge structure 31, which prevents packing of snow at-this point by directing the same outwardlyfor an upward movement along the scoop toward the rear end thereof.

At each side of the center sill, within the zone or space 33 is located a means for picking up the snow in the zones along the running rails H, for reducing the snow to a relatively fine or comm'inuted condition, and for throwing the snow forwardly and upwardly for entrainment into the air stream as it passes thev zone 33. Said means includes a rectangular open frame 38, one of which appears in Fig. 4. Each frame includes a supporting shaft 39, which extends parallel with the center sill and which is journalled in brackets 4ll40 carried by the center sill and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom, as best appears in Fig. 3.

The frame 38 further includes a frame bar 4| spaced from but parallel with said shaft and a side bar 42 connecting said shaft and the first mentioned bar. A brush shaft 43 is arranged parallel with the side bar 42 and in turn is supported by the shaft 39 and frame bar 41. One end of the shaft 39 is bent to form a crank arm 44 arranged outwardly of but parallel with the frame bar 42.

Mounted on the shaft 43 for rotation is a circular brush 45, which includes a cylinder that is journalled on said shaft 43 and bristles radiating therefrom and arranged in groups or portions 45, 46 and 47 thereon. The bristles in the portion 45a are shorter than those in said brush portions 46 and 41 so that the brush as a whole is contoured to span a third Or power rail 48, which appears in Fig. 2 when the car is in operation upon a third rail electrified railway system.

The brushes. may. be. dr'irenlinfany suitable manner and'one. way. is. to. provide an individual motor f) foreachhrushr Thismotormay be carried p h bar 42. of. th ass iated fram 8..and through a spr eketfil 'andch'ainiz drives a sprocket 5,3 iournalled'jon the Shaft 43" and suitably fixedto. the associatedihrush cylinder. Power for the motors, 5flflmay be generated, by the equipment 21f and'is. controlled'by the operator in the cab-likestructure lj'i';

The brush framesBB arefs'hown in theirlowered operative positions in Figs 1' and z'and'in the left hand side, ofEig. 3 and'when in this position, project outwardly from the side contour of h can. However, when the car is mov from one place of operation to another, it is ad visable that these frames be disnesed' in 'an' inoperative position withinsaid side contour of. the car for clearance purposes and such a position is illustrated inthe right hand side of'Fig; 3.

For swinging each brush frame from oneto the other of said positions'an aincylinder 54 is provided. Both cylinders are'disposedin the plane of the arms M" for both frames 38* and these cylinders are pivotally attached at their upper ends to an upstanding bracket- 55"0n-the center sill. Within, eachcylinder is-a piston (not shown) to which is connected a-piston rod 56 that slides through" t-he bottomend-of-the respective cylinders-amide pivotally connected to an associated arm--44:

Air for operatingthe' cylinders andpistons is providedby suitable piping tnot showrrl -from the air tank i=6"and controlledby-theoperator in the cab-like closure l 'l When air-from the tank 26' is admittedtothe upperendtof the re..- spective cylinder 55, the piston-rod 5& thereof is projected outwardly and this swings tar-lowers the frame 38- do-wnwardly to dispose-tl iebrusia in the operative position. When: suchair -i-sned mitted to the-lower end ofthe cylinder, this retracts the piston-reds, which swings the frame to the inoperative positionnshown on the right hand side of Fig. 3 Imth-iseposition, the brushes are disposed within-- the side contours ofithe ear and afford the clearancerequired :in transport.

In the operation of the carrassume: thatithe car is being pushed byesuitable-.motive.power, say at about. aspeed iot 3;fi.-;milesx-per hour.

that the brushes 45 are in tli'et-operativeupesition and: are being driven their motorsrzfid. in the direction .ofthe-arrowa In the rotation. otlthez-brushea snow-alonethe track rail zones is. brushed or; swept therefmm to be thrown: forwardly-7 and upwar ly i i a som what. comminuted or r ndition 'n ethe air stream in theiarea-ifi nd whereinitis, en trained in; Su -fir Stream; toting-airborne thereby; The airbornesnow travels rearwardlv with the air stream which is a directed. upwardly. bywti-le scoop andas: it reaches-the leading'edge .32 of the wedge, the airstrearnis, splitcentralir into portions. whiehfollow upwardly of th.e...upper end of the scoop and arelthen deflected outwardly by the surfaces. 31- fordischarge: from opposite sides of the car:whereitmayfallin vagentle manner.

Because ofthe small volume of; snowiremovcd per linealtfoot. of track-and thefine condition of-such snow, together with. thespeedon velocity of the air stream,. the; snow. will be. entrained into the air stream and be .earried toia discharge zone which will notaffectt-trainl operation,

While describing the: ,ention .weahave. referred in detail to the form, construction and arrangement of the parts involvedthe same. is. to be. considered only inithe'. ilustrative sense. and therefore. we do not wish to be limited" thereby except as. may bespecifioally setifortli in the ap 'iended'ol'aiins'.v

We claim as, our invention: 1. In a car fer railway. snow sweeper a frame including a center. silliand side sill. portions at the front and rear ends of. the. car,. means providing a. forwardly. facing, air wedge on said center sill andthe side sills attlie rear end portions of" the frame and including. a forwardly facingleading, edge, centrally of. and above, and below the center sill and including outwardly. and rearwardly extending side (Reflectingv surfaces. an air scoop. associated with said wedge. and including-a, transverse leading edge positioned below the leadineziedge for the. wedge and a surfa ext din unwardly and rearwardly from said transverse, edge. and having upper end ';1ositions disposed upon? opposite sides of the Side surfaces ofsaid air wedge, means mountcd'on the center sill. andftlie sidesills, atfthe, frontend of the car and'provildingrearwardly andi'nwardly extending air current relieving. surfaces. that terminate in an uprightltrailing. edge. spaced'forwardIy fthe leadingedge of. air wedge.

2. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeledframe an air Wedge. on said frame and includingan upright leading edge. arranged substantially centrally thereof and side surfaces extending rearwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and ihayine', a Horizontal leadin edge arranged transversely; of tlciecarv forwardly of the leading edge. of the wedge. and. below said frame, and includinga paneliextending upwardly and rearwardlyfromsaidedge of'the air scoop with upper end'portions. disposedilateraily along each side surface of'lthe air we,dge., ..a.cylindrical brush arrangedin advance. of'fsaid edge of the air scoop and havingoplerative and inoperative positions, said brush whenin said operative. po: sition. exten ingaeross one. of-th'e rails: of: the

. track upon which the car may. travelga. movable frame in which saidfibrush is. joiuinallediforrotation, means connectingsaid movable. frame. to said wheeled frame for movement between positions. of the brush... means for. imparting movementto said movable frame from oneto the other of 'saidipositions forsaidbrushiandpower means for rotatively driving. said brush when it is in the. operative position.

3.- A snow sweeper railway. car embodying therein a wheelediframe, an airwedge. on said frame: andincluding an uprightl leading edge arranged suhstantiallycentrally, thereof and. side surfaces. extending .rearwardly. andv outwardly, in opposite... directions. from. said. edge, anair scoop onv said frame. and having. a horizontal leading edge arrangedtransverselye of l the. car forwardly of the leading edge of thewedge andbelow said frame, and includinga panel. extending upwardly and rearwardly from, saidjedge of the air. scoop withupper .endportions. disposed laterally t along each side surface ofithe air wedge,- a cylindrical brush. arrangedin .advance-of'said edge :of the air scoop and having operative and. inoperative positions, said .brush. when. in said operative position extending. across :oneiof. the rails, of the track upon which the. .car. man-travel), a movable frame inwhich said. brush is, journalled {for rota: tion, means. connecting. said; movable... frame to said .wheeledlframe. for .movementbetween said positions of the brush} means for imparting movement to said movable frame from one to the other of said positions, power means for rotatively driving said brush when'it is in the operative position, and means on said wheeled frame and spaced in advance of said brush and including at the rear thereof an upright trailing edge arranged substantially centrally of said frame and side surfaces extending forwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge.

4. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeled frame including a center sill, an air wedge on said frame and including an upright leading edge arranged centrally of said sill and side surfaces extending rearwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and having a horizontal leading edge arranged transversely of the car forwardly of the leading edge of the wedge and below said frame and including a panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said edge of the air scoop with its upper end portions disposed laterally along each side surface of the air wedge, cylindrical brushes, arranged one on each side of the center ill in advance of said edge of the air scoop and each having an operative and inoperative position, each brush when in said operative position extending across a rail of the track upon which the car may travel, a movable frame in which each brush is journalled for rotation, means connecting each movable frame to said center sill for movement between said positions for the brush, means for imparting movement to each movable frame from one to the other of said positions, and power means for rotatively driving each brush of each movable frame when it is in the operative position.

5. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeled frame, an air Wedge on said frame and including an upright leading edge arranged substantially centrally thereof and side surfaces extending rearwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and having a horizontal leading edge arranged transversely of the car forwardly of the leading edge of the wedge and below said L in which said brush is journalled for rotation,

means connecting said movable frame to said wheeled frame for movement between'said positions of the brush, means for imparting movement to said movable frame from one to the other of said positions, and power means carried on said movable frame and connected to said brush for rotatively driving the same when it is in its operative position. g

6. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeled frame including a center sill, an air wedge on said frame and including an upright leading edge arranged centrally thereof and side surfaces extending rearwardly andoutwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and having a horizontal leading edge arranged transversely of the car forwardly of the leading edge of the wedge and below said frame and including a panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said edge ,of the air scoop with its upper end portions disposed laterally alongeach side surface of the air wedge, a cylindrical brush arranged one on each side of the center sill in advance of said edge of the air scoop and each having an operative and inoperative position, each brush when in said operative position extending across a rail of the track upon which the car may travel, a movable frame in which each brush is journalled for rotation, means connecting each movable frame to said center sill for movement between said positions for the brush of each movable frame, means for imparting movement to each movable frame from one to the other of said positions, power means for rotatively driving each brush when it is in the operative position, an operators cab mounted on the frame forwardly of said brush, and means to the rear of said cab and including an upright trailing edge arranged centrally of said frame and side surfaces that extend outwardly and forwardly of said edge, said edges being spaced longitudinally of the car.

'7. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeled frame including a center sill, an air wedge on said frame and including an upright leading edge rising from said center sill and side urfaces extending rearwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and having a horizontal leading edge arranged transversely of the car forwardly of the leading edge of the wedge and below said frame and including a panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said edge of the air scoop with upper end portions disposed alongside each side surface of the air wedge, a cylindrical brush arranged in advance of said edge of the air scoop and having operative and inoperative positions, said brush when in said operative position extending across one of the rails of the track upon which the car may travel, a movable frame in which said brush is journalled for rotation, means carried by said center sill and including a shaft arranged parallel with said. sill and providing pivotal axis for said movable frame about which it may be swung from one to the other of said positions for the brush, means mounted on said sill and connected to said movable frame for moving the latter between said positions for the brush, and power means for rotatively driving aid brush when it is in the operative position.

8. A snow sweeper railway car embodying therein a wheeled frame including a center sill, an air wedge on said frame and including an upright leading edge arranged substantially centrally of said frame and side surfaces extending rearwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said edge, an air scoop on said frame and having ahorizontal leading edge rranged transversely of the car forwardly of the leading edge of the wedge and below aid frame, and including a panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said edge of the air scoop with upper end portions disposed laterally along each side surface of the air wedge, a cylindrical brush arranged in advance of said edge of the air scoop and having operative and inoperative positions, said brush when in said operative position extending across one of the rail of the track upon which the car may travel, a movable frame in which said brush is journalled for rotation, means connecting said movable frame to said frame for movement between said positions of the brush, means for imparting movement to said movable frame from one to the other of said positions, said when it is in its operative position.

CALVIN W. SHIPLEY.

HERMAN C. VAN ECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 I UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Brunet Jan. 8, 1884 Libbey Oct. 17, 1892 Leigh Nov. 1, 1892 Bostwick Nov. 1, 1892 Hickley Dec. 10, 1895 Robertson May 30, 1899 Horvath Oct. 20, 1914 Purdin Oct. 3, 1916 Beltrami Mar. 20, 1923 Clark Apr. 10, 1928 Huet June 3, 1941 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,516,600 July 25, 1950 CALVIN W. SHIPLEY ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, lines 20 and 21, for the word positions read portions;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed t 's 7th day of November, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommissz'oner of Patents. 

